American missionaries in the UAE region in the twentieth century

Abstract

Geographically part of the Arabian Peninsula, the area of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has always been historically and culturally part of the Islamic world. However, Arabia was once part of the Christian world and was referred to in the Old and New Testaments.' The European conquest of the Gulf in the early sixteenth century ushered in an era of European penetration, and from that time the dream of winning it back for Christ kindled Christian minds. With this purpose in mind, the missionaries entered the Gulf area. The Arabian Peninsula is divided both geographically and politically into numerous regions: Al-Hasa, Al-Hijaz, Nejd, Asir, Qatif, and Oman. Oman, in the eastern and southern section of the Arabian Peninsula, is divided into several provinces: the hinterland, the mountain areas, and the Coast of Oman or the Trucial Coast, known today as the UAE. For decades the UAE, the first hundred miles of the Arabian littoral encountered after entering the Straits of Hurmez, was know.n as the 'Pirate Coast'. As the home of the powerful Qasimi tribe, the Coast resisted any foreign intervention that aimed at controlling the international trade in the Gulf. The members of the Qasimi tribe entered into conflict with the forces of the British government of India; as a result, the British dubbed them 'pirates' and their home as the 'Pirate Coast'. It was not until 1853 when Britain concluded the Peace Truce with the sheikhdoms that the term 'Pirate Coast' was replaced by 'Trucial Coast'. Despite this change, American missionaries used the old terminology when referring to the Trucial Coast. This article explores the activities of the American missionaries in the UAE. It is divided into six parts. Part one provides a historical background of the Christian connection with Arabia in general and the area of the UAE in particular. The birth and aims of the Arabian Mission, which fostered mission work in Arabia, is dealt with in section two. Part three discusses the local conditions that prevailed on the Coast upon the arrival of the missionaries. The early activities of the missionaries in the UAE in the period 1896-1910 is dealt with in the fourth part. The fifth section deals with the changes in the missionaries' methods and attitudes in the period between 1918 and 1960. The sixth part discusses the impact of the